Sydney Sweeney to Play Boxing Legend Christy Martin in New Biopic

Sydney Sweeney has lined up her next role as groundbreaking boxer Christy Martin in a new biopic.

Australian filmmaker David Michôd, best known for his films Animal Kingdom and The King, will direct from a script co-written with Mirrah Foulkes.

The movie will chart Martin’s rise to the most recognized female boxer in the 1990s, from meeting her manager and future husband Jim Martin to becoming the first woman to sign with star-making promoter Don King. Dubbed the “female Rocky” by the film’s producers, Martin remains the only female boxer to land a Sports Illustrated cover.

In an interview with Deadline, Michôd said, “The film is about Christy as a young gay woman in small town Virginia in the 1990s. She came from a relatively conservative family and wasn’t allowed to be who she was so she used boxing as a vehicle to express herself and her rage. She had to make some dangerous and fundamental compromises in her life, the most important of which was marrying an incredibly dangerous man.”

Also speaking to Deadline, Sweeney revealed her passion for boxing and MMA. “I grappled and did kickboxing from 12-19 years old. I’ve been itching to get back into the ring, train, and transform my body,” she said. “Christy’s story isn’t a light one, it’s physically and emotionally demanding, there’s a lot of weight to carry. But I love challenging myself.”

The actor also praised Martin’s legacy, saying, “[She] not only legitimized female boxing, she overcame gender stereotypes, and fought through emotional, physical, and financial abuse. I’m passionate about the fighting world, Christy’s story shines a light on her incredible rise to the top while showing the struggles of fame behind the curtains. I feel compelled to tell a story about a woman who faced so much adversity and didn’t allow it to defeat her. It’s powerful, and emotional.”

Sweeney is coming off the hit rom-com Anyone But You and horror flick Immaculate, the latter of which she promoted by hosting Saturday Night Live. More impressively, she accomplished all this with only two hours of sleep and no coffee.